What was Yahya Sinwar holding in his hand during Gaza battles?

On January 24, 2025, Al Jazeera aired previously unseen footage of Yahya Sinwar, the former leader of Hamas, providing a rare glimpse into his military activities during the “Israeli” aggression in Gaza.

Sinwar, who was killed in October 2024 during combat with “Israeli” forces in Rafah, is depicted in various settings; he was seen moving between the rubble of a destroyed building in Gaza, looking at battle plans, and even coming into close contact with a passing “Israeli” tank near the building he was in.

In one segment, Sinwar is seen navigating through the rubble of Gaza, draped in a heavy shawl to obscure his identity. Clad in a military-style vest, he gestures emphatically towards the camera.

In this clip, Sinwar was holding a tube-like black piece, leading many social media users to wonder what it was.

While the footage does not clearly show what he is holding, the piece looks to resemble a “crossfire spotting scope” and sometimes referred to as “angled spotting scope” – commonly used in urban warfare settings where fighters can see what’s behind a wall without sticking their head out and getting caught in crossfire.

Others speculated that it could be a regular or a night vision scope, either to be tacked on a weapon or used separately

In other clips, which were given by Hamas’ military wing to Al-Jazeera, the Hebrew word "north" is graffitied on a nearby wall in one of the shots, suggesting that “Israeli” soldiers had previously occupied and cleared the same building at an earlier time.

Another clip shows Sinwar seated on the floor of an intact room, examining a map with a fellow commander. The two men trace routes and point to specific locations.

Additional footage captures Sinwar walking among fighters, holding a cane, and offering words of encouragement. He addresses his comrades and supporters with the message: "The door to freedom is knocked by every bloodied hand”.